Puppy Love
by petals-to-fish
Summary: What could possibly go wrong when your Labrador retriever starts playing matchmaker? Well, for one, you could get hit in the head with a bag of rocks. You could also fall into a public lake. Or, both, if your dogs name happens to be Padfoot. (101 Dalmatians Jily AU) One-Shot.


**It's Lily's birthday and I wouldn't be me, without honoring her by sticking her character into another Disney movie. Enjoy!**

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As far as dogs go, James supposed his dog Padfoot was pretty great. They lived in a bachelor flat just off Regents park. They ate pizza together almost every night, unless James fancied himself a cook and burned steaks on the stove for them. They both enjoyed the same movies and they both snored horribly at night. With Padfoot as his best friend and roommate, James Potter considered himself the luckiest bachelor on earth.

Based on Padfoot's slothful manner, James figured Padfoot lived a pretty great life himself. Sleeping until noon, going for a walk so James could stretch his legs, eating steaks and pizza…who wouldn't want to be a dog like Padfoot? Padfoot was living every dog's dream, in James' opinion.

Unbeknownst to James, however, Padfoot did not agree that a bachelor's life was the only life for them. For one, Padfoot was bored beyond all belief. It was the same boring old routine every day, never any adventure outside of the occasional ice cream cone. The old notion that a bachelor's life was so glamorous and carefree was all nonsense.

Padfoot found it was downright dull for a dog and clearly detrimental to a human. It was plain for Padfoot to see that his best friend needed someone of the feminine touch. It practically screamed so, by the pizza trays piling up in the sink. Whenever James' human mates came over and commented on the lack of women in his life, James would scoff and pat Padfoot's head saying, "this dog is all that I need."

Padfoot would sigh because, if it were up to James, they'd both be bachelors forever. Padfoot was two, it was time he settled down with a four-legged love. James had to be at least four in dog years, so it was time he settled own too. Unfortunately, James was married to his work, writing novels. Novels about romance of all things, something he knew absolutely nothing about. Padfoot knew that his pet was intelligent enough, as humans go. And Padfoot didn't know much about human beauty but James was a rather handsome animal in his own way.

Just like Padfoot, James had a crazy mess of black hair, only James' hair stayed confined to his skull and smelled like spices instead of the muddy outdoors. James' lanky body had a way to gliding from one room to the next, despite looking more like a Great Dane than a Labrador of Padfoot's caliber. Still, Padfoot could see no reason why James didn't deserve an attractive mate.

Padfoot was resolute to do his best and find James a quality mate or die trying.

While James typed away at his computer, Padfoot sat on the window seat of the flat, staring out at the passerby and waiting. Of course, dogs are a pretty poor judge of human beauty but Padfoot had a rough idea of what to look for. James kept magazines of human girls in the loo and Padfoot saw human girls on James' magic moving box.

James, seeing as he was human and lacked the ability to fully understand his dog, had no idea what was coming for him. One particularly nice spring day, Padfoot sat at his post watching as all matters of dog and human passed by the open window. He had his head in his paws and nose pressed against the screen, eyes examining the humans as fervently as he examined the dogs who passed. If James noticed Padfoot's silent vigil by the window that Spring day, he did not comment on it as he typed away rapidly on his computer.

Some humans were as unusual as the dogs they belonged too. Padfoot huffed as the fifth poodle that day waltzed past, shaking her little arse in the air spitefully at Padfoot in the windowsill. It was a fancy breed, but perhaps too fancy for James who, last night, had spilt red sauce all over his favorite trousers while watching his magic box.

Padfoot continued his search.

All manners of four legs passed by the windows every day. Some were recognizable and some were new, but Padfoot just couldn't find one set who would be perfect for them. He almost gave up and went to go chew on his bone when suddenly, a black beauty paused in front of the window, wagging her tail joyfully.

Padfoot's ears perked was the most picturesque creature on four legs. Her smile was wide, and her tongue was out as she looked back at her human lovingly who— _well_ —she was quite lovely too!

Padfoot stood up and wagged his tail excitedly, barking once.

"Shut up Padfoot," James muttered from his computer, "I'm trying to work out this stupid plot point."

Padfoot's shoulders dropped and he side-glanced at his human. Two exquisite creatures were right outside of their window and James Potter was worried about plot points. Padfoot knew he'd never find another pair like them, not if he looked for one hundred years. Padfoot turned back to the window and established that the girls were headed to the park.

It was the perfect meeting place but Padfoot was worried as he glanced back over to James, who only stopped work after two in the afternoon.

It would be too late.

Padfoot looked at the clock on the counter and saw the hands, so flawlessly ticking the time away. Padfoot deviously slunk over to the kitchen table, unbeknownst to James, and pressed the arrows so that the clock ran for two. Padfoot barked again and James jumped a bit, one hand in his hair as he looked over at his dog.

"After two already?" James mumbled, looking down at his computer, "But—"

Padfoot barked again and James moaned, slamming his computer shut and standing up, "Alright, alright, I wasn't getting anywhere anyways."

Padfoot was shaking, he was so excited as James hooked his leash to his collar. James tried calming Padfoot down, not really sure what had gotten into the animal. James had no sooner opened the door before Padfoot was dragging James down the sidewalk to the park.

"Padfoot, boy, take it easy!" James nagged as they crossed in front of a car, "What's all the hurry?"

Padfoot ignored James, he was too worried that they'd missed them. Perhaps they'd passed by the park. Then suddenly, Padfoot spotted them. They were sitting by the lake edge on a beautiful wooden park bench. The woman was reading a book and the lovely dog that sat next to her dutifully was staring out at ducks on the lake wistfully. It was picture perfect, so perfect, that Padfoot couldn't have planned it better.

James tugged on Padfoot's leash, trying to get Padfoot to head over to the grass for a smoke. James would settle on the grass, puff his cig and that would be it. No, Padfoot knew he had to be the better dog for his human. It was all up to Padfoot to change their lives for the better.

Padfoot had no particular plan, to say the least. He tried to act coy as he walked, leading James right past the bench where the woman and stunning dog sat together. As Padfoot passed, James was unaware of the woman's bright green eyes looking up from her book to stare at James as he walked past with the cig in his mouth.

James sat Padfoot down at the lakeside, where they usually sat, staring out at the ducks and fish that sometimes appeared to eat off the water's edge. Lily pads floated by lazily and James smoked. It was all rather unimpressive, as far as Padfoot was concerned. James didn't mind one bit though, he enjoyed the quiet and stared out into the deep blue waters, contemplating how he was on his fifth try for his second novel and hadn't reached passed a fifth chapter for any of the drafts.

James sighed and pet Padfoot on the head, not gathering that Padfoot's head was halfway swiveled around, staring at the woman and her dog. James had never been too smooth with the women. Of course, in primary he'd flirted and he'd had a few girlfriends but none of them were really the exciting love he'd come to expect after years of reading and writing romance. So, James went about his life, waiting for the right woman to sneak up on him with the same undeniable _zing_ that he wrote about.

James was so lost in thought about his dying career as a romance novelist that he shouted out loud when two paws landed on his shoulder and Padfoot unceremoniously ripped James' hat from his head. James' cig fell to the grass as James' hand went to try and clamp down on the hat, but it was too late, Padfoot was three steps away, arse in the air and tail wagging with James' hat in his slobbery mouth.

"Padfoot!" James exclaimed, "you prat!"

But James had to laugh, after all Padfoot was adorable. It was in his very nature to make his worried owner happier. What James didn't know was that it was all a part of Padfoot's plan. The woman on the bench was watching as James crawled across the grass to try and rip his hat from Padfoot's mouth.

"C'm on! C'm on, let's have it, boy!" James pleaded, "You're getting it all slobbery!"

Padfoot barked out his amusement, dancing just out of James' reach until he promptly turned and ran over to place the hat on the bench. In fact, Padfoot placed James' hat right next to the lovely lady who looked down at Padfoot like he was a common stray.

Not a good start.

Luckily for Padfoot, the woman human's dog was peering around her legs, watching Padfoot with entranced eyes. Padfoot stood up taller and shook his whole body eagerly, seeming frisky to human eyes. Padfoot turned back to James and barked twice, encouraging James to come over and join the fun.

James was distracted because he seemed to have made eye contact with the woman on the bench. James' skin normally stayed one color but now, a steady ruddy flush had risen on his cheeks.

"Sorry!" James called to the beautiful woman with striking red hair and a gorgeous complexion, "He's my dog!"

Padfoot turned back to the woman and pretty dog, only to find that for some reason they'd gotten up and were leaving. Padfoot was about to chase them down the sidewalk when James pounced suddenly from behind, hooking Padfoot's leash on. But Padfoot wasn't giving up, he was determined to have the humans meet. Luckily, fate seemed to be on Padfoot's side, and the girls weren't walking away fast.

James objected as Padfoot pulled him towards the girls. The woman heard them coming, thanks to James' large mouth, and half turned to say something. James could barely get out an excuse before Padfoot cleverly started wrapping his leash around the woman's legs, pulling her right into James.

"What the hell!" The woman insisted as she was pushed flush into James and his arm went around her to steady her.

"I'm so sorry it's my dog- _fuck_ , _ouch_!" James moaned, after the woman swung her purse up and hit James on the right side of his face.

The four legged-beauty barked at Padfoot, her head tilted cunningly as Padfoot wrapped the two humans together. The leash was taut at their knees and both of them looked down in despair as they realized they were tied together. James was holding his eye, apologizing profusely and the woman stumbled into him more, her hands grasping his coat. That bumped James off balance, and he began falling backwards over Padfoot's lead.

James glanced back anxiously to witness Padfoot try and leap out of the way of the fumbling humans, only to leap directly into the lake. The leash was still wrapped around the human knees, so James went back diving into the lake with a strange, screaming woman on top of him. Both of their strangled shrieks were drowned out by the giant splash of water that rose up around them like a tidal wave. In two seconds flat, James was soaked through to the bone.

The woman's elbow was digging into his side as she struggled to break free from him. Both of them struggled under the water and both their heads disappeared under the water multiple times as they removed the lead from around their legs. James' eye was throbbing as the woman finally stood up, the water was up to her knees. The woman had red hair that was hanging around her face and her red lips were pouting as she looked down at her ruined wardrobe.

"No, no, no." she murmured, looking flustered, "Not Petunia's new spring suit!"

James was coughing up water as he stood up, too. The water splashed around his calves and he furiously began looking around for Padfoot. The dog was smart and had joined the female version of him up on the bank. They were both staring down at the humans worriedly, but their tails were wagging.

"Padfoot I'm going to murder you when I get out of here!" James sent Padfoot a well-aimed glare before turning back to the woman who was squeezing water from her long red hair.

"Are you mad?" the woman was wiping mascara from under her eyes, "You named your dog _Padfoot_?"

The water sloshed around James' knees as he attempted to check and see if she was alright, "Please," he said as she struggled to walk in the mud filled lake, "Let me help you!"

"You've helped quite enough, thank you." She managed to say, her voice catching in her throat as she pushed him away "Please, just go away."

James removed his hand from his face, and she gasped when she looked at his face, "Oh, I did that!"

James, taken aback, immediately looked behind him, "What?"

"Your face!" she exclaimed, pointing at his face.

James reached dup to touch it and was reminded of the faint throbbing by his eye, "Ouch."

"Shit, I'm so sorry." She squeaked, "I hit you with my purse!"

"Yeah," James felt the bruise forming around his eye, "What've you got in there, bricks?"

"Rocks actually?" she managed with a guilty shrug.

"Rocks?" James griped, " _Why_?"

The girl pushed her hair out of her face and James could finally see that it was a very, _very_ lovely face. He was almost struck speechless by the green color of her eyes, wide almond shaped eyes that made her appear even more overwhelming than she'd been before.

"I like to paint rocks into animals for the kids at the hospital." She put a hand on her heart, "I didn't mean to hit you—I was just surprised is all."

"Yeah," James muttered resentfully, looking up at the two black dogs wagging their tails, "So was I, my dog seems to have taken a fancy to your dog."

Lily looked up at the bank where the two dogs were sniffing each other and wagging their tails. Had James not been soaked to the bone and favoring the spot where something in her purse had decked him, the two dogs would've been adorable.

"We both clearly have a taste for Labradors." She looked at him cleverly, "only Marlene is trained to respect strangers."

"At least I don't go around hitting people with _rocks_." James shot back.

"They're more pebble then rock, you baby." the woman sighed deeply and looked around them in the water, "Speaking of my bag, have you seen it?"

"No," James said, "But with literal _rocks_ in it, I'd expect it went to the bottom of the lake."

"My phone and credit card are both in there." She placed her hands on her hips and wrinkled her nose in a cute way, "Reckon I can find it again?"

"I'll help you, so long as you don't hit me with it again." James offered, ruffling his hair to shake some of the water from the strands.

The woman finally smiled a real smile and it was like she shouldered under James' stare, "I am sorry about that, I thought you were coming on to me."

"Trust me," James said as he stared kicking around the mud for her purse, "I wasn't."

She raised her eyebrows at him, and he immediately backtracked as he realized how that must've sounded.

"Not that I _wouldn't_." he said quickly, "It's just—I don't think it's smart—I mean you're gorgeous and I'm just—" her eyebrows were stretching farther and farther up her forehead, so James just gave in and sighed, "I _wasn't_ coming onto you."

"Well your dog certainly needs some training." She replied once her eyebrows had returned to normal, "How old is he?"

"Two but he's not normally like this," James defended Padfoot, "I don't know what got into him."

Padfoot barked from the embankment and they both looked over to find the two dogs face to face, licking each other. The woman groaned and splashed the water sourly as their dogs made friends.

"Well how do you like that." She deadpanned, "My dog is getting more action than I've had in months."

James glanced at the woman in astonishment and a slight flush spread across her cheeks. He liked her, she was clever, in a mad sort of way. James stuck out his hand to her, suddenly mindful that he didn't actually know her name.

"I'm James."

"I'm Lily." She took his hand and James liked the way her fingers curled around his wrist, "Lily Evans."

"It was a pleasure being assaulted by you, Lily Evans."

He flinched when he heard the words out loud. They'd sounded decent in his head. Luckily, she had the decency to laugh at his tongue-tied crack at flirting. James considered that it was much easier to make a girl like you in fiction. This girl wouldn't probably walk out of his life the moment they found her purse. They both trudged through the muddy lake and James eventually found her bag, weighted down by rocks…and a book.

James pulled the book out of her bag and smiled when he recognized the flower pressed cover. Lily cheered from not too far away when she saw he'd found her purse and came sloshing over, grabbing the bag from James and letting out a soft sigh as she pulled a now (dead) mobile phone from it.

"Blasted." She hissed, "It's going to take me weeks to pay this off."

James didn't look up, he was too busy staring at his water-logged romance novel that had spent three weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. It looked so dull to him, the flowery cover, but his editor had convinced James during print that the girls went bonkers for that sort of shite. Clearly, this woman, Lily was reading it. The bookmark in the middle suggested that she hadn't finished the book, however.

Lily looked up from her soaked bag and noticed her was tossing the hard cover around in his hands. James wondered if, instead of the rocks, the book had been the thing that dented into his eye when Lily swung her purse at him. Wouldn't that be ironic?

"Oh, don't worry about that." Lily grabbed the book from James and stuffed it back into her purse, "I didn't even buy it. My mum got it for me. I think as a hint that she wants me to settle down with someone like the main character but that's just ridiculous of her to suggest."

"It is?" James asked as they gradually made their way up the bank, covered in mud and water.

Lily nodded as she loved on Padfoot before kissing her dog, "I've gone out with plenty of guys, but I don't have any of them buying me an entire _rose garden_ the day after they met me."

"Yeah," James managed an embarrassed chuckle, tousling his hair again, "That's a bit fairytale, eh?"

"The principles of fictional men in most modern romance novels are quite frankly, fairytale-like."

James tilted his head at her, fascinated, "You don't like fairytale?"

"Not that I don't fancy a bit of fairytale, I just like when something like love written and portrayed as if it were real," Lily corrected before she looked up at the sky and then back to James, "as real as that thunderstorm rolling in."

"Ah, that's not good." James cursed as he looked up at the sky that boasted dark rolling clouds, "Well, at least we're already wet."

"I've got three blocks to walk." Lily whined looking down at her sopping clothes, "And I'm already freezing."

James looked at the dogs, both of whom hadn't separated since they were brought together. Then he looked at the cute woman, eyeing the sky warily. In that moment, James made a decision that would change Padfoot's life (and his) forever.

"I live just outside of Regents." James proposed, "You can stay with me through the storm and get dry, as long as you do me one favor?"

Lily, very quick, said, "Depends on the favor."

"Mind out of the gutter..." James mocked, "I don't want anything weird, I just want to hear more about what you think is 'real' romance."

"Why would you care what I think on romance?"

"Because I wrote the book you just criticized." James admitted and her eyes grew wide.

"No way!" she shook her head, pulling the book from her bag and flipping it to the very soggy back page where, no doubt, she had just comprehended the picture looked just like the bloke standing across from her, "You're J.F. Potter?"

"Guilty," James chortled shamefacedly, "James Fleamont Potter."

"Fleamont?"

Lily laughed out loud and both dogs pranced about her feet, both of them happy to hear her joyous giggles. James had to agree with them, Lily's laugh was like a summer rainstorm. It warmed him to the bone despite being soaked from head to toe. Lily kept with her joyous refrain as James led the way back to his small bachelor flat where he dug out some joggers and a large shirt for her to wear while he threw her suit across a chair in the small loo to dry.

The springtime thunderstorm ravaged outside as Lily and James settled together on the sofa. Padfoot and Lily's Labrador, Marlene, established a cuddle pile by the hearth. Lily sat cross legged, facing James as she explained how his novel might be fun and filled with romantic tropes but some girls, like her, also liked romance novels that conveyed a sense of real life.

"Real life?" James huffed, "What do you mean?"

Lily tilted her head at him, "It means that woman don't expect men to buy us an entire rose garden as a sign of affection like your main character did for Rosie."

James adjusted his glasses on his nose, "well then what would make _you_ think of real affection?"

Lily's lips curved up and she placed a hand on his leg, startling him, "Maybe a man with a horribly behaved Labrador tumbling into a lake with me? She suggested, "and then that same man offering to help me get my purse back _after_ I hit him with it?"

James' mouth opened slightly and then he closed it. Lily's green eyes were shimmering tenderly at him. He hadn't expected to catch feelings for her, but everything about this woman was like the _zing_ he wrote about in his books. Her hair had started drying so it was curling elegantly on her shoulders as she continued leaning closer to him, eyes fluttering flirtatiously.

"Your joking?" James asked wonderingly, "Even if you thought I was coming on to you?"

"I think you're actually quite charming, if I'm being honest." She leaned even closer, her eyes looking at his lips, "Real life isn't all rose gardens and knights in shining armor."

"No," he agreed, tone sinking to a deeper range, "I guess real life is your Labrador dragging you into the prettiest woman in all of London, only for her to hit you in the head with your best-selling novel."

"It's not my fault that your dog had the hots for my dog." She beamed as he pointed to the bruise on the side of his face deliberately, "although I can't say I blame Padfoot, Marlene is a looker."

James glanced over at their dogs, snoozing together by the fire, "How are we ever going to break them apart after this?"

"Maybe we don't have too."

James turned back to her and that's when she closed the space between them, kissing him full on the mouth. She pulled away almost instantly, gauging his euphoric appearance. She opened her mouth to apologize but before she could, James reached up to trace her face softly with the back of one of his hands. She smiled in relief and once again, Lily glowed, and James felt a familiar vigor hit him right in the heart.

He didn't know how it happened, but James thought it kind of felt like magic, as gravity pulled them back together. James' fingers twisted into her auburn curls, following her leisurely kissing as they explored the reality of falling in love in the middle of a thunderstorm. The kissing turned dreamy and searing, James pushing Lily back and into the pillows of the lounger. Suddenly, Lily laughed into James' mouth, as the back of her head hit the arm of the sofa. Of course, Lily's merriment woke the sleeping dogs by the fire, as James dragged his lips away from her mouth place playful kisses on her nose and cheeks.

Padfoot and Marlene bounded over to their owners, excited to see Lily and James curled up on the sofa, wound up in each other. Padfoot smugly jumped onto the couch with them, his tongue breaking up any chance of the snogging to resume. James and Lily sat up, both of them doting all over Padfoot and Marlene as the thunderstorm continued on with no intention of stopping.

As far as dogs go, James supposed his dog Padfoot was quite possibly the best. Thanks to Padfoot, James had met the loveliest woman. The happy couples ate pizza together after James tried to cook steaks and scorched them terribly, much to Lily's amusement. Padfoot and Marlene both fell asleep on Lily and James' feet as a movie downed out the sound of the summer storm. Lily and James set up a time for a walk in the park the next day with the dogs, this time with no plans to fall into the lake. When Lily kissed him goodnight, James considered himself the luckiest bloke on earth.

Later, Padfoot wagged his tail happily as James settled into bed with the widest grin he'd had in months.

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 **Of course, if you hadn't realized, this was an 101 Dalmatians AU. I picked this over Tangled for scaredofrobots, who has been messaging me for months for this AU. Love you babe, even when you send me false reviews and try to convince me a bear would save a toddler lost in the woods.**

 **xxx**

 **Petals**


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